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Blatche Arrested

Washington Wizards restricted free agent forward Andray Blatche was arrested and charged with sexual solicitation early Thursday, a spokesperson for the District police department confirmed. Blatche was expected to meet with a judge this evening to arrange a court date.

Blatche is three weeks shy of his 21st birthday and has averaged 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 85 career games. The Wizards offered him a five-year contract worth $12.5 million earlier this week, which Blatche was believed to be pondering. Blatche's future with the organization appears clouded, but President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement, "We are aware of this matter involving Andray. We are in the process of gathering all the information and will continue to monitor this situation. We will have no further comment."

The 6-foot-11 Blatche showed some promise in his second season with the Wizards, as he averaged 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds last season. But his brief career has been overshadowed by off-court misfortune. Blatche, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., was selected in the second round (49th overall) out of South Kent Prep (Conn.) in 2005, but missed most of his rookie season and all of training camp recovering from gunshot wounds sustained in an carjacking attempt near his home in Alexandria, in September of that year.

Comments

Crap. That sucks. Hopefully, they realize he's just a kid, and give him a break. Not like he was killing dogs.

Posted by: AndNone | August 2, 2007 5:33 PM

Let him walk! (just kidding)

Posted by: Jamie | August 2, 2007 5:34 PM

This might change things in regards to the contract negotiations.

Posted by: Sixx | August 2, 2007 5:34 PM

time to take NJC

Posted by: Fat Bob | August 2, 2007 5:36 PM

You'd think after being shot he'd know better by now.

Posted by: James | August 2, 2007 5:38 PM

AndNone,

20 years old is not a kid. By law, once you reach the age of 18, you are considered an adult.

I am curious as to what Mr. Blatche was soliciting from that cop.

Posted by: Sixx | August 2, 2007 5:40 PM

In DC, there's crack and then there's the other crack...way to go finding it Andray...

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 5:41 PM

Uh, guess.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 5:41 PM

Andray, come solicit me!!! I'll give you the entire "BJ AND THE BEAR" (minus the bear) DVD set in exchange for a Capri Sun. I'll be in the plugs and jugs section of Wheaton Circuit City on Saturday. You'll know me by scent of half-smokes and my "Rod + Chico" face shirt. AND NO NEED TO KNOCK!!!

This proves one thing, there ain't enough "single night" at the verizon. Right now I prefer laugh than cry thinking about AP throwin Blatche away...

Posted by: Mehdi | August 2, 2007 5:59 PM

Pete and Fat Bob, you got it right... Take a pass on Blatche and sign JCN... Who needs an unproven player who is pondering a multi-million dollar contract and is dumb enough to need to pay for sex in DC (obviously he couldn't even score on "singles night")???

Wake up and smell the coffee, Ernie.

Posted by: KHRabb | August 2, 2007 6:10 PM

We want Navarro not Blatche!

Posted by: Fredneck | August 2, 2007 6:13 PM

I'm sure there's some sort of time limit on the contract offered to Blatche, but I don't think the Wizards can rescind the offer before that. So Blatche might be more inclined to take the deal now, because his overall market value will take a hit because of his arrest. Blatche will be scared into taking our offer, and dumping him won't really be an option.

I could be wrong though. If this results in Blatche taking a cheap long-term deal, it might be a fortuitous event.

Posted by: Smith | August 2, 2007 6:14 PM

What you mean "we" kemosabe?

Pop quiz time. Please complete the following sentence:

According to U.S. and D.C. law, all criminal defendents are innocent until ________ guilty.

Posted by: kalorama | August 2, 2007 6:16 PM

"Dang B*tch set me up!"

A. Blatche

Posted by: rb | August 2, 2007 6:18 PM

Oh my god.

We cannot sign JCN no matter what. This doesn't change a thing. We simply don't have any money left in exceptions. This changes nothing on that front.

Posted by: Pradamaster | August 2, 2007 6:19 PM

At 6'11, maybe he's just too big for an ordinary person and he had to seek an expert.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 6:21 PM

Sign him now! Who else on our team is going to guard Garnett? He is a 6-11 baller!!!!

Posted by: Bernardo | August 2, 2007 6:21 PM

The Wiz can rescind the contract offer immediately unless they promised to keep the offer open for a set period of time and received compensation in return. An offer can be rescinded at any time prior to the offeree accepting the offer. There is not time table to keep an offer open.

EG has to be ripping up the contract and saying 3 years $6M.

Posted by: Chad | August 2, 2007 6:24 PM

From the AP article:

"Blatche, 20, and a man identified in court documents as Gregory Palmer, tried to solicit sex from an undercover police officer, according to charging documents."

You know, if he'd hung out with Rosie Palmer instead, perhaps he wouldn't be in this predicament...

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 6:24 PM

He couldn't use craigslist like everyone else?

Posted by: PIITB | August 2, 2007 6:26 PM

Ummm can someone explain to these guys saying drop Blatche and sign JCN that they play two totally different positions and even with McGuire, who hasn't played 1 NBA minute, you still need to keep Blatche around to allow him to continue to develop. Correct me if I am wrong, but Blatche lit the summer league up last year so I wouldn't put a lot of stock in those leagues translating to the NBA.

Posted by: realitychecker | August 2, 2007 6:28 PM

Ummm can someone explain to these guys saying drop Blatche and sign JCN that they play two totally different positions and even with McGuire, who hasn't played 1 NBA minute, you still need to keep Blatche around to allow him to continue to develop.
---------------

Yeah, that and it's not even possible given the current cap situation.

Posted by: Prophet | August 2, 2007 6:31 PM

This is a sign...Pull the offer and give the money to JCN! After signing Dmac we are already over the cap so we won't get that cap distribution of 2 - 2.5 million anyway...

Posted by: Raj | August 2, 2007 6:36 PM

Sixx - you are correct. 20 yrs old is a legal adult. Well done Cochran. My point is that he is relatively young, and it would be a shame if Abe took the moral high ground and shooed him away like he did w. Webber ten years ago for having a roach clip in his car. Webber went on to have MVP-like seasons, and take the Kings to the Conference Finals. We got Mitch Richmond, who was a great citizen, and nothing more.

Oh, and BTW, how many people on this board have actually seen JCN play in person? Dude is not all that.

Posted by: AndNone | August 2, 2007 6:42 PM

Hopefully this is not something that will hurt his chances of signing with the team. We will have to wait and see what this is all about but it does not sound good.

Posted by: Shabba | August 2, 2007 6:45 PM

This is so unfornuate. Since the Wizards have a players who seem to have a lot of character, hopefully he can get some serious mentoring this season.

Don't want to see him continue to get into trouble..................

Posted by: fred | August 2, 2007 6:47 PM

Raj, apparently you're not getting the memo, so let me spell it out for you.

The luxury tax is not the issue here. We cannot simply give Blatche's money to JCN because the two of them are not the same type of free agent.

Because Blatche is one of our restricted free agents, the Wizards can go over the cap to re-sign him without using one of their cap exceptions (mid-level exception, low-level exception). These are known as "Bird Rights." It used to be that second-round picks didn't get this designation, but that changed in 2003 with a provision known as the Gilbert Arenas rule. Arenas, as you hopefully know, was a former second-round pick up for free agency after his second year. At the time, his former team, the Warriors, were over the cap, and had to use one of the two exceptions mentioned above. Because Gilbert had a breakout season in 2002/03, he wasn't about to sign a contract worth 5.5 million dollars annually, so Golden State basically got screwed out of the bidding. He signed a 5 year, 65 million dollar contract here, and the rule changed.

But we don't have the same rights on Navarro. Navarro never played for the team -- we just own his rights. Therefore, since we're over the salary cap (55 million, we're at 64.7 million), we can only use one of the two aformentioned exceptions. Unfortunately, 3.5 million of the 5.3 million dollar mid-level exception was used to re-sign DeShawn Stevenson. Therefore, we only have 1.8 million dollars left of the exception to sign Navarro, and since he's paying the 2 million buyout from his European club with his own money, he's not going to sign for that little, not when it doesn't even cover the buyout. He has said he is looking for a contract in the 3-4 million dollar range, and we don't have that much left in exceptions.

You cannot combine exceptions, so the Wizards can't take that 1.8 million and combine it with the 1.8 million dollar biannual exception they have this year to sign Navarro.

Therefore, it's not an either-or scenario. If Ernie wanted JCN, he shouldn't have signed Stevenson. That's the reality. Now that he did sign Stevenson (IMO, correctly, I should add), the JCN dream is just that -- a dream.

Any questions?

Posted by: Pradamaster | August 2, 2007 6:48 PM

yeah...you definitely want to hang on to this guy...

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 6:54 PM

its all good as long as he was going to drop the "dump truck" on her.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 6:56 PM

Finally some Wizards news!! Alright!!

"He was also wanted for failure to appear on a charge of driving without a license, stemming from an arrest in October 2006, according to court documents."

Did the Wizards know about this other arrest? If not, why not? Wouldn't they have learned from the Rod Strickland years that they should frequently scan court records for incidents involving their players?

And what was the other arrest about, and why wasn't it known to the public? This sounds awfully like the shhh, don't-tell-anyone-Kwame-got-some-girl-pregnant, and shhh, don't-tell-anyone-Gilbert-is-going-to-be-served-with-a-complaint-at-the-Sacramento-game episodes.

Posted by: Sean | August 2, 2007 6:57 PM

This is the sort of behavior we expected from Ramos, not Blatche. Really, how stupid do you have to be? Does this guy have enough brain cells to be a decent NBA player?

Posted by: Sean | August 2, 2007 7:00 PM

"if you were a 20 year old millionaire with the world at your feet and loads of free time, what would YOU do?"

Not paying for it; at least not directly. And if you're going to bring a GP to tha corner, bring Gary Payton. You gets no love without The Glove!

Posted by: kwamesnani | August 2, 2007 7:05 PM

youre not funny. he will be a wizard and this is not going to speed anything up. just take it easy

Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro may get their wish to play together in the NBA after all.

Talks between the Grizzlies, the Washington Wizards, who hold the rights to Navarro, a 6-3, 27-year-old shooting guard from Spain, and Navarro's agent, Alex Saratsis, have heated up this week, with all parties hopeful an arrangement can be worked out before the Friday deadline imposed by Navarro's current team, FC Barcelona. The Spanish team has agreed to let him out of his contract for a buyout of around $2 million if a deal can be reached by the end of business Friday.

``There's been quite a few discussions between myself and (Grizzlies general manager) Chris (Wallace) and Juan Carlos and (Washington president) Ernie Grunfeld,'' Saratsis said. ``At this juncture, obviously with the deadline approaching, there's still a few options out there. I think one of the most appealing ones is Memphis because of the ability to play with Pau. Anyway you look at it, he'd basically be coming for the chance to prove that he can play in the NBA and play with his best friend.''

Several teams have expressed interest in the Navarro, with the Grizzlies and the Miami Heat being the suitors most often mentioned. During the last month, both Gasol and Navarro, who have played together for FC Barcelona and on the Spanish National Team, have expressed through the Spanish media their desire to team up in the NBA. But Wallace said reports that Gasol offered to pay Navarro's buyout are untrue.

``We've had ongoing talks with all sides involved in this,'' Wallace said Thursday morning as he boarded a plane headed for Memphis. ``In this one, I wouldn't say we've reached a deal until we've reached a deal. If that ever happens, I'd feel comfortable. It's a unique situation.''

The Wizards, who according to the Washington Post are over the salary cap with about $64.7 million committed to contracts next season, have been trying to trade Navarro's rights. There have been reports that Grunfeld has been trying to include center Etan Thomas, who is owed about $20 million over the next three seasons, in the deal.

Wallace would not say which players, or possible draft picks, have been mentioned in the trade discussions.

Doesnt he thats what escort services are for? u just got to ring em up

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 7:24 PM

Between the Wiz and the Skins do we have any good news for the summer?

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 7:26 PM

Heck, if AB can't get any PT, he might as well try something else that he might have better luck with.

Posted by: DC Man88 | August 2, 2007 7:40 PM

Blatche is an NBA player....he does not have to pay for "it." Really dumb move on his part....

Posted by: Lisa | August 2, 2007 7:48 PM

Oh Andre, Didnt he learn anything from previous Wizards who played in Tony Cheng's neighborhood..? For heaven sakes hes in the NBA that does mean he plays on the National Basketball level... Dont they have numerous groupies lining up to sleep with these guys???? this guy is a immature child who needs guidance, He's in the club all the time with some losers and they dont know how to attract females who sleep with athletes.. Shame shame young guy, soliciting SEX? Im not in the NBA and I dont solicit SEX? Wow, I know his agent is like what the F...? Great time to screw up, during nbegotiations... Character is something Team GM's look at now.. Hell learn his lessson if not in court but next time he says he deserves this much money..Spoke with anonymous GM's and this will cost the guy millions, if not some freedom.. Expect DC to make a example of him..

Posted by: the x Factor | August 2, 2007 8:01 PM

I'm with Lisa on this one, unless of course he has b.o. or bad breath.

How dumb can he be to (1) pay for play and (2) to get caught doing it during the middle of contract negotiations. This cost him a few million dollars. Got to be the most a guy's ever paid to get laid.

Posted by: KK | August 2, 2007 8:05 PM

This is the exact reason why there is an age limit? He doesnt have NBA maturity.. I also seen this clown in the club numerous times when he should been working on his game.. Someone tell him practice makes perfect.. Gym rats get large contracts not gym dreamers..

Posted by: Wiz faithful | August 2, 2007 8:06 PM

This is the exact reason why there is an age limit? He doesnt have NBA maturity.. I also seen this clown in the club numerous times when he should been working on his game.. Someone tell him practice makes perfect.. Gym rats get large contracts not gym dreamers..

Posted by: Wiz faithful | August 2, 2007 8:06 PM

Abe Pollin is not going to like this...

Im sure he'll tell EG reneg the intital offer. This guy needs character development.. can't have a cancer on the team. He's got no common sense..

I'd give him a contract of 5mil over 2 years, with an option for the whiz to take the 3rd paying 3 mill. So 8mil over 3...

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 8:18 PM

We have to keep Andray if for nothing more than his new nickname:

All about the snatch Blatche!

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 8:25 PM

Andre "No Play" Blatche? How's that for a nickname? "Bulletproof" just doesn't seem to capture the essence of the man anymore. Any other suggestions?

Posted by: Essex | August 2, 2007 8:33 PM

A 6-11 brotha with no game on the court or off the court.

Posted by: Fredneck | August 2, 2007 8:37 PM

Ouch...

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 8:55 PM

go easy guys, this is def a bad sign for a young guy to be mixed up like this.

Posted by: greg | August 2, 2007 9:03 PM

Sisterproof.

Posted by: joe | August 2, 2007 9:07 PM

PIITB,
Dude, that craigslist crack had me rolling!

Posted by: Marty | August 2, 2007 9:12 PM

To say that Andray should be getting some every day just because he's an NBA player is outrageous. No girl at H20 knows who the hell Andray Blatche is! He's just some skinny 7 foot tall guy with crooked teeth. Nobody wants a piece of that. And I think there have been way more famous people than Andray getting busted with prostitutes in the past. Everyone strikes out sometimes!

I had no idea Wizards fans were so morally righteous! Boo the inquisition!

Posted by: Matt | August 2, 2007 9:13 PM

They should drop this headache and move on; these guys don't 'Come Around Eventually', you're either a knuckle-head or your not, (see Kwame Brown, and 'Brenda Star' Heywood); We've got Dominic McGuire to back up Caron, and D-Mac has a heck of a lot more upside than this dope. Three strikes and you should be O-U-T! All of this for potential?! I think McGuire and Nick Young can manage 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game between the two of them. Cut the bum!!

Posted by: guisher | August 2, 2007 9:14 PM

riduculous. he IS still a kid. legal definition notwithstanding. at 20 - I did stuppid things, too. let him pay his fine and go on with his life

Posted by: dah1963 | August 2, 2007 9:18 PM

riduculous. he IS still a kid. legal definition notwithstanding. at 20 - I did stuppid things, too. let him pay his fine and go on with his life

Posted by: dah1963 | August 2, 2007 9:19 PM

he IS a kid -- let him go, and move one. who among us DIDN'Y do stuppid things at 20?

Posted by: dah1963 | August 2, 2007 9:20 PM

he IS a kid -- let him go, and move one. who among us DIDN'Y do stuppid things at 20?

Posted by: dah1963 | August 2, 2007 9:21 PM

Matt, this was not a prostitute - it was a police officer....undercover.... but STILL.... I'm not hating on Blatche...and I hope we still re-sign him. I just think that it was a really stupid move on his part - especially since he is in the middle of contract negotiations.

Posted by: Lisa | August 2, 2007 9:21 PM

yes you should only try and get a prostitute AFTER you sign ur contract

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 9:29 PM

So...was it a male or female undercover police officer?

Oh, and Andray, much like Cosmo Kramer trying to scalp an opera ticket to the guy dressed up like the Pagliacci clown, always ask "Are you a cop?" before making a, uh, qualifying offer.

Posted by: Joe Divola | August 2, 2007 9:35 PM

Craigslist!! LMAO.. That was funny

Posted by: Seas | August 2, 2007 9:38 PM

Already, we have the 'Jr. GMs' saying 'Um, Blatche and Navarro don't play the same position; we need Blatche to guard Garnett - Blah-Blah-Blah' News flash - Blatche couldn't guard Garnett with an M16 (thats the difference between Garnett - Legend, and Blatche - Loser), and everybody knows the difference between a guard and a forward (each time the news mentions Navarro or Blatche, they list their height - it's kind of a media thing); stop being condescending and wise up - bottom line - Navarro would be more of an asset to the team, because he is a proven player (yes he and his compatriots wiped the floor with America's best and brightest a few times before in international play). But, since the Wizards don't have the cash under the cap, Navarro is an unlikely piece to the puzzle, but Blatche still must go. Check out the Michael Vick action, or Pac-Man Jones, once a dumb-ass always a dumb-ass time to cut bait. I know most normal, half-way intelligent people who narrowly escaped death once before to get a chance to play in the NBA would use their spare time to - oh, I don't know- work out and improve their game - maybe. This guy is a waste, and an idiot - they should cut him now!!

Posted by: guisher | August 2, 2007 9:43 PM

I guess I'm in the minority who think this isn't worth getting worked up about. He'll never live it down int he locker room though.

How many articles on Blatche this off-season have mentioned his 3.2 points and 2.7 boards?
I don't remember seeing it much while his named was attached to the full MLE, or those contracts for 4M a year that were coming from the Nets, no the Cavs, no now the Mavs... IOW, his agent was working HARD trying to drive up the price.

If you're Ernie, you don't go back with a low ball offer. You just make sure he signs that nice long and inexpensive contract. And he's still a FA at 25.

Posted by: Stringer | August 2, 2007 9:47 PM

Folks - People make mistakes. I did plenty of them when I was twenty too. I am sure a lot of folks here "casting stones" have done their share too, so calling for him to be let go is totally stupid.

But I must admit I am pretty ticked about what my man AB did and his timing. I also did not know about this Oct. court hearing he missed last year.

Maybe all of this behind the scenes stuff that,we the public don't know about, played a major factor in the 12.5 over 5 years contract he was offered.

Ernie and Abe might know the young boy is not yet mentally ready to get the big contract yet. My arguement for a bigger contract for AB was based solely on "on the court" play. I did not know about "all this other stuff".

I will have to change my stance now and say 12.5 is fair now. Not on his ablities, but on his potential "off the court behavior" problems. Abe can not make a huge investment in someone who is still out there "running the streets" and maybe not working on his game like he should.

With that said, as I mentioned respect being an important element in neogiations; so is maturity. I guess it looks like AB is not there yet and that is what got him this 12.5 offer, sorry to say.

I guess that is why they pay my man EG the big bucks and I am just an armchair GM. Don't forget though things can be forgotten and forgiven due to young age.

Remember DStevenson and the young girls he supposely got drunk and had sex with in Utah back when he was about 20 years old. Guess what, the dude learned from it and is now flying the straight and narrow.

Again folks, cut the young fella some slack and now I hope AB learns his lesson for good after be robbed, shot, and now arrested for "hanging out in the nightlife". Not to mention, losing major money during neogiations for a new contract. That my friend is just plan stupid...............

Posted by: Bullet Fever | August 2, 2007 9:47 PM

Dude

he's a kid... once he gets a steady chick, he'll be fine. I agree he's a little busted but he needs some big brothers to look over his shoulder and hook him up with a decent chick.

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 9:47 PM

guisher - stop hating cause you wish you had to money to hire a prostitute... let your inner john come out!

Posted by: asd | August 2, 2007 9:48 PM

Just another episode of "mackin" in the NBA. I can't wait to hear the BS "cut him slack", "He's just a kid", "you need to know how it is where he grew up", "man, it was just being at the wrong place at the wrong time" or my favorite.. "he just made some bad decisions and allowed his posse to affect his commonsense." All bull... Get rid of him and maybe 20 other kids will learn not to do the same idiotic stuff... Dude is an NBA hoops player... dude can definitely go to a club and pick someone up based on star status for free. Moron.. cut him.

Posted by: Grummy | August 2, 2007 9:59 PM

at least his not a rapist like kobe...

Posted by: asd | August 2, 2007 10:06 PM

He ain't hurtin dogs...

keep him and give him a 1 year contract... 1 year to get focused. with time he can redeem himself..

this is another wake up call... don't surprised from this moment on he'll be in the gym doing push ups and starts shooting with Gil.

EG is gotta ask the big brothers to carry this kid.

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 10:14 PM

Ivan,
You might not be first on every development, but you are the number one Wizards insider and your blog gives the best overall coverage BY FAR of Wizards basketball. Thanks for posting as often as you do.

Posted by: Emmet | August 2, 2007 10:15 PM

well well...definitely not the sort of behavior you wanna break the bank over! apparently we're talking about his second arrest AND the night he got shot I do believe it was about 4:00 am, which is not a crime, but also not behavior that makes you want to pay someone millions of dollars a year.

He had little leverage before and zero leverage now. Let's just hope this contract is not TOO much and we get a return.

I'm a fan Andray, but your just about out of chances so you better mature fast or you'll be playing with Ramos somewhere.

AndNone,

Chris Webber is one of the biggest losers to ever play. He's done much more than get busted with a joint and he's got more excuses than a 5-year-old.

Posted by: Rob P | August 2, 2007 10:16 PM

I can't believe some people are actually backing Blatche and saying he's a kid. This is essentially one of the dumbest things you can do with diseases and whatever else is out there. And seriously, if you're an NBA player and need to go the route of a prostitute, then you have issues. I'm leaning towards letting Blatche walk for us as well as for him. It's been a rocky ride for him here, so maybe a change will be good for him.

Posted by: Alex | August 2, 2007 10:20 PM

the kid defintely has issues...

The "organization" has to be very very careful on how to handle him.

let the facts disclose itself...

im starting to like the Poet again... he's a good guy but also a little Wuss..

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 10:24 PM

"if you were a 20 year old millionaire with the world at your feet and loads of free time, what would YOU do?"

Have a hot girlfriend/wife that spends all my money. ;)

His mom is going to KILL him.

- Ray

Posted by: Ray | August 2, 2007 10:29 PM

yeah dog!, pop that hoe with a "boston tea party"

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 10:29 PM

Lets not lose our minds over this. He made a mistake, he will be dealt with by the courts. He is still a very talented player who if he got more time would produce more because that is what happened in game that he actually got a lot of time in last year.
And I would remind those that AB did a wonderful job on KG in the game here at the Verizon Center last year. Lets not compare this to some of the other bad behavior performed by Wizards' players of the past.

Posted by: George Templeton | August 2, 2007 10:30 PM

Look, the kid is about to be 21, im sure he was getting a little somethin for special time of year.

he needs to be around better guys, who the hell was he with this morning??

it's all about the company your associated with.. look at Vick and who he surrounded himself with.

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 10:38 PM

Deshawn got a 14 year old girl drunk and slept with her. I'd say that this IS the NBA, a lot of players get arrested (even Arenas got arrested last year in Miami standing up for Awvee Storey).
We can't sign Navarro, and WE NEED BLATCHE. He's our only shot at a legit big man. 5yrs/12.5mill may be the best offer he can get now, which is good for us.http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/09/20/stevenson010920.html

Posted by: Emmet | August 2, 2007 10:39 PM

Hey Pradamaster,

Let's see how many more times someone asks if we can just drop Blatche and use the dollars to sign JCN...

Over/Under 8

I say over.

Posted by: Rook | August 2, 2007 10:40 PM

Does the previous post by Emmet count?

Posted by: Rook | August 2, 2007 10:41 PM

Ya don't htink Abe set him up just to drop the offer do ya?

Posted by: May Be | August 2, 2007 10:46 PM

Hopefully Abe has a sit down talk with Blatche -- the 20 year old still is a kid. That's the bottom line.

They should still make a push to re-sign him. In workouts and in games he's been a professional. Put a "no hookers" clause in the contract if necessary; put Blatche on notice. But the Wiz should still keep things in perspective. This isn't the kind of distraction that undermines a team's chances for success. We aren't dealing with a guy who has a serious substance abuse problem; chronic absenteeism, or a side interest in writing poetry.

We're talking about a kid who just learned a hard lesson in the kind of negotiations that a pro athlete might encounter on and off the court. Live and learn.

Posted by: JPT | August 2, 2007 10:57 PM

Yeah, Abe Pollina, the DC Don.

Posted by: DC Man88 | August 2, 2007 10:57 PM

man thats bad news for the wizards. thanks for the update michael. ivan,michael i no you guys are tired of us asking you this but the juan carlos Navarro dateline is 2morrow and i just want to know have you guys heard anything on him.

you guys done a great job so far

Posted by: brandon | August 2, 2007 10:58 PM

no hookers clause? that's harsh. i wouldn't sign that.

Posted by: asd | August 2, 2007 11:00 PM

Blatche's stock is now falling off a cliff because of this. Among other things, it will be interesting to see how the contract negotiations play out.

Posted by: low | August 2, 2007 11:10 PM

Abe is te don, but I am the HON!

Posted by: DC Man88 | August 2, 2007 11:20 PM

We need this kid to compete in the East...

If AB takes this mess and redeems himself on the court, he's going to have a break out year...

EG has invested way too much in this kid, he's not going anywhere guys.. he's gonna be a WIZ at least this year.

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 11:25 PM

Damn kid, Damn.

Can't you go to 'Love' to get some Andray? You're in the NBA for crying out loud.

Really?.....

REALLY?

This is worse than the Kobe route.

But hey, at least he ain't Eddie Griffin.

Posted by: k-dub | August 2, 2007 11:29 PM

Poor Andray. Nothing wrong with what he did. Probably entrapment anyway. Just tryin to get a little, if it's between 2 consenting adults what's the problem? It's stupid it's illegal.

And to change the subject... I can't believe how lame our marketing personel are. From the Wizards website:
" the Wizards unveiled a new marketing campaign announcing the Wizards as Ready to Rule. Also, a slight change has been made to the Wizards' home and road uniforms, changing what was formerly bronze trim to gold."

Posted by: Darnell | August 2, 2007 11:38 PM

Rook, I said that we should forgive, forget, and sign Blatche. I'm not one of the fans who care enough to make suggestions but not enough to make realistic well-thought-out suggestions. I've got my facts and my good sense, and thats why I'm not opportunistically seizing the moment to whine about the Wiz not signing JNC.

Posted by: Emmet | August 2, 2007 11:42 PM

pradmaster,

tnx 4 the clarification on the JCN/batche contract issue....

The buyout is 2-3 million but can't we spread it over 3 years???? is this not american sports???? Some type of 'hush/hush deal' like we unfortunately promised to DeBrick this year??

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2007 11:43 PM

I agree with Emmet. When he grows up, he will be a monster. He was worth drafting out of prep school, and he's still worth schooling. ... with a firm hand. Hopefully, someone will take him under their wing.

If we can get him for five years for $12.5 million, it's a bargain, but I agree with those who say we go for three years. And we should still bring in a big and agile body for JCN's rights, with or without Blatche. We don't need Navarro.

Posted by: zinger1 | August 2, 2007 11:46 PM

did we not give him the minimim??? with promises???? be real.....

Posted by: aj | August 2, 2007 11:48 PM

did we not give him the minimim??? with promises???? be real.....

Posted by: raj | August 2, 2007 11:48 PM

Let's get over this... sign Blatche for 1 year..

As for JCN, and Etan send them to Memphis for Swift... done, no conditional draft picks, it would be just a finance decision and adding by subtracting...

Etan makes 6.3mil 3yrs left
Swift makes 5.8mil 1yr left
(swift is will be in a contract year, get his guy... and if he's no good, he's off the books, it would be a great set up for next year.)

Posted by: Jamison on the Rocks | August 2, 2007 11:49 PM

This has hurt Blatche's bargaining leverage. If the Wiz can rescind the offer, Blatche might try to accept the offer before they have a chance. The Wiz offer looks better now because Blatche will think that other teams will be more hesitant to make a better offer.

This is going to work out. Trust me.

Posted by: Smith | August 2, 2007 11:51 PM

AB needs a real woman-a hooker for Jesus:

www.hookersforjesus.net

Seriously though...hopefully this will be a defining moment for the guy. I thought a bullet inches away from the heart would prove to be a life-changing episode that would keep him on the straight and the narrow. Yet I'm willing to give the guy another chance.

Maybe this will bring him to his knees to cry out for true redemption through Christ? A life that has truly been transformed by Jesus can bring a total change of perspective on life. This is what I'm praying for concerning AB. There is more to life than hanging in the clubs and trying to get laid.

Great blog...keep it up!

Posted by: Cause2Impact | August 3, 2007 12:10 AM

Anon, JCN's paying the buyout, not the Wizards. I doubt Barcelona will agree to such a deal. They're doing JCN a HUGE favor by lowering the buyout from 14 million to 2-3 million already.

Posted by: Pradamaster | August 3, 2007 12:16 AM

Seeing as the methods used for stinging Johns usually hover the line between allowable/entrapment, I have to feel for the guy. For all we know the cop was dime who made no mention of money until she had him hook, line, and sinker. Either way A) hes 20 which, combined with the maturity demands of the NBA mean he's still 18 and B) soliciting sex with an adult woman, while hygienically dangerous, is pretty victimless (at least most of the rest of the world thinks so.)

Secondly, Just saying JNC would be an asset to the team means nothing. Yes, he will likely be a functional combo guard - not unlike the other three who can supplement Gil. As for D-Mac, he has proven even less than Andray. He's an athletic 6-8 GF, but its not wise to just assume he can fill the role we are/were expecting from AB this season. Pech obviously won't want to get his hands dirty in the paint and you never know what you can expect from the poet and Brenda.

IMHO, Ernie and Abe should just proceed with negotiations and ignore this issue. They should not use it as an excuse to lowball the guy's salary (hey that'll just make it even harder for him to get laid on the club scene) and they certainly shouldn't go the puritanical route and wipe him off the wiz's plans as some people are suggesting.

Posted by: Blatche was framed | August 3, 2007 1:45 AM

um,

I have to question the premise that it is a victim-less crime accepted around the world.

You can rationalize whatever you want, but what he did isn't healthy, safe or victim-less.

In fact it is downright stupid. I am rooting for andray, but we are getting to a point where a fair argument might be made that he is too stupid to make it. I hope he redeems himself, but he is going to have to work extra hard now. And stop being dumb.

Posted by: greg | August 3, 2007 2:09 AM

Yeah soliciting a prostitute means you're too dumb to play in the NBA. Wow.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 3, 2007 4:19 AM

Is that how you made it? Nameless?

It might be, you think anyone smart enough to be in the NBA might realize that risking your contract on a quick thrill would be about the dumbest thing you could do.

Say something.

Posted by: g | August 3, 2007 6:22 AM

I don't think you can brush this aside with, "Oh, he made a mistake." Read the whole article and let's review his whole history in DC.

- After being in a club when he was too young to be in a club, he gets shot. We've always assumed that he was entirely the victim in that situation. Was he?

- Arrested for driving without a license in 2006.

- Doesn't show up for hearing on the driving without a license charge.

- Arrested for solicitation (while his agent is in the middle of a multi-million dollar negotiation).

That's four screw-ups in his 2 years, 1 month in DC. Was this his first time soliciting a prostitute, or just his first time getting caught? What else has he been doing?

Bottom line, this kid now has a real rap sheet. Ivan, did he have any record before he was drafted? Recall that he was expected to go late first round. Why did he drop so much? Off-court behavior?

Posted by: Sean | August 3, 2007 6:37 AM

thats ridiculous Sean. A rap sheet? Where did you grow up that driving without a license counts on a 'rap sheet'? Is that how they roll in Bethesda?

Driving without a license is not big screwup. Its dumb. But you're acting like he killed someone while drunk driving.

And you start by asking whether he was truly the victim when he got shot? F'ing kidding me?

Stop trying to play Matlock. You're embarrassing your self.

Posted by: Johnny Boy | August 3, 2007 8:54 AM

I say trading the poet and the rights to JNC for Swift is a good deal and a good set up for us next year when we have some cap space.

Posted by: wiz034 | August 3, 2007 9:06 AM

I'll leave the moral outrage over soliciting a prostitute to somebody else, but what I see as the serious problem is the utter stupidity. Given the amount of trouble he's already been in during his short time in DC, a clear picture is emerging of a total moron who surrounds himself with the wrong people and displays some scary-retarded decision making skills. He should be put on "double secret probation" and if he screws up again we should move him. No team needs to be exposed to this kind of cancerous stupidity. It's bad for business and its bad for basketball. Way to go dumbass!

Posted by: Anonymous | August 3, 2007 9:18 AM

He was arrested twice and failed to appear once, Johnny Boy. Do the math or get someone to help you.

Posted by: Sean | August 3, 2007 9:29 AM

The Wiz don't care about character issues and the team needs some street cred, so they should sign Blatche for 5 years.

Pradamaster-
Good explanation of the difference in the money situations of Blatche and Navarro. Unfortunately some of the people posting here are so dense they probably still don't get it.

Posted by: Jackace | August 3, 2007 9:50 AM

Stro Swift has one guaranteed year at 5.8 million and then a player option year for 6.2 million.

Posted by: Correction Dept | August 3, 2007 10:32 AM

AB needs to learn there are consequences to actions, and hopefully EG can figure out how to express that - big fine? lower bid? I think it's becoming clearer that EJ was demonstrating that through lack of PT. Having said that, completely giving up on the young man would be impetuous and counter-productive. Rasheed Wallace had a LOT of growing up to do before he could be counted on to be consistent and productive, BUT, wouldn't the Wiz have been better off with him still on the team?